This invention relates to polishing pads and a method for making a polishing pad surface readily machineable thereby facilitating permanent alteration of the polishing pad surface by machining to create an advantageous micro-texture. Polishing pads of this invention find application to the polishing/planarization of substrates such as glass, dielectric/metal composites and substrates containing copper, silicon, silicon dioxide, platinum, and tungsten typically encountered in integrated circuit fabrication.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,772 describes conditioning a pad using a temperature-controlled conditioning disc to enable uniform chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) at a stable temperature.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,062 describes a cutting means for abrading the surface of a polishing pad during polishing. U.S. Pat. No. 5,081,051 describes an elongated blade having a serrated edge pressing against a pad surface thereby cutting circumferential grooves into the pad surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,990,010 describes a preconditioning mechanism or apparatus for preconditioning a polishing pad. This apparatus is used to generate and re-generate micro-texture during polishing pad use.